A blog written by a woman living with Celiac Disease and all that that means. It includes tips and suggestions for living a Celiac lifestyle, my favorite gluten free recipes tested on myself and my family over the years and information in general on getting through the day gluten free.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Grape Tomatoes

For me suppertime is usually whatever I have on hand. Today I had a package of sweet Italian turkey sausage and a package of grape tomatoes. I started by heating a pan up and then coating the bottom with Smart Balance oil. I added a package of 5 pieces of turkey sausage and cooked the sausage until almost done. I removed the sausage from the pan onto a plate to cool and added about ¾ of a cup of white wine (I had a Chardonnay in the fridge). Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all those delicious bits off & into the wine (deglazing) so you get all the flavor into the dish. Add 2 – 3 cloves of garlic chopped fine and about ½ cup of chopped onions. Cook until the onions are tender. Slice about 2 cups of grape tomatoes in half and throw in. Add about ¼ - ½ cup of chopped dried tomatoes. Both of these tomatoes add a sweetness you can’t get any other way. If you buy grape tomatoes & you find that they are a bit sour just roast them or throw them into whatever you are cooking. This brings out the sweetness. Cook a few more minutes. In the meantime, or whenever you find the time, cut the sausage into bite size pieces and add to the pan. Cook a few more minutes. Add to this about 2 cups of chicken broth. Let the dish bubble for about 5 more minutes so all the flavors blend together. Add salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to as low as it goes and add about ½ cup of mascarpone cheese. I use this a lot, I know it is expensive but I can’t help myself. You can easily substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone. Stir the cheese in until it is completely dissolved. At this point turn off the burner and add about ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley and a few tablespoons of chopped basil. Pour a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in & stir to combine. Wallah !! Done. Oh, don’t forget to cook up some pasta. GF for you and whatever the family likes for them will do. Any type of pasta will go well with this. Serve this up with a salad on the side and you have a quick and healthy meal for those who are gluten free and non-gluten free. I have included a picture as well as a real recipe below. Be sure to try this, your family will appreciate it!